ONE NIGHT BEFORE RAW
by Rebel8954
Summary: Roman had texted his congratulations on the announcement of his brother's engagement to Becky Lynch but couldn't resist the temptation to give them in person. Then he'd gotten a call from his wife, and he'd gone racing to the arena.


Roman Reigns had been in town to do some charity appearances and thought he would surprise Seth backstage at RAW. He'd texted his congratulations on the announcement of his brother's engagement to Becky Lynch but couldn't resist the temptation to give them in person. He planned on getting some flowers for Becky before showing up at the arena. Then he'd gotten a call from his wife, and he'd gone racing to the arena.

He stormed through the back entrance door, finding his way towards the locker rooms. As he rounded a corner, he saw Braun Strowman standing in front of a closed door, armed crossed across his massive chest. Becky Lynch stood with her back to him with Charlotte Flair's arm around her shoulders. A crowd of wrestlers was beginning to form some distance from them.

Both Charlotte and Braun spotted him at the same time. Braun glanced at Becky then back to Roman.

Charlotte spoke quietly to Becky, who turned to face Roman as he got to them.

Roman's eyes widened when he saw a large bruise on the left side of Becky's face that no doubt would blacken her eye as well. He automatically pulled her into a hug. "He hit you?" he asked in concern.

Becky shook her head. "No no…I just didn't move fast enough when he threw one of his boots. Roman, he wouldn't…"

"Sorry, I know." Roman hugged her again then stepped back. "You should see a trainer about that." He looked at Charlotte who was nodding in agreement. Then all three flinched at a roar from inside the locker room and the sound of something heavy hitting a wall.

Braun merely glanced over his shoulder at the closed door.

"I'll talk with him," Roman promised Becky. "Let Charlotte get you to the trainers."

Becky silently nodded, leaning slightly against Charlotte who slid her arm around Becky's waist as she walked her friend down the hallway.

Roman turned to Braun who nodded in greeting.

"We were going over our match tonight, and Becky was throwing in some suggestions as well. Our phones all went off and we saw…" Braun glanced away for a few seconds then continued. "Then he just exploded. Never said a word…just exploded. I tried to grab him but then Becky got hit by his boot so I grabbed her and got us out of there." He met Roman's eyes. "I figured he wouldn't listen to me anyway."

Roman nodded in both agreement and understanding. "Thanks. He's going to feel like shit when he realizes Becky got hurt." He took a deep breath. "Keep everybody out for me, okay?" He lowered his voice. "**Everybody.**"

Braun nodded in understanding. "Nobody gets in," he promised. As he stepped aside so Roman could open the door, he quietly added, "I'm sorry, Roman."

Roman momentarily closed his eyes then nodded. He took a deep breath and opened the door. When it closed behind him, Braun resumed his guard position.

The locker room looked like a disaster area. Benches were overturned and two were broken into pieces. Suitcases were scattered across the room, and some clothing had been ripped to shreds.

But all Roman saw was his brother, leaning against one wall. Breathing heavily, every muscle tensed as though he was in the middle of a rough match in the ring. He waited quietly until Seth raised his head to look at him.

Roman had seen anger in the eyes of others more times than he could remember. Players on the other side of the line during football games. Wrestlers during matches. His brother…

Roman shut down that thought immediately.

"Why are you here?" Despite the anger in Seth's eyes, his voice was cold.

"Doing some charity appearances," Roman calmly answered. "Thought I'd surprise you."

"You know." It was a statement and not a question.

"Yeah. I know."

It was only because Roman was prepared that he didn't flinch when Seth grabbed a piece of a broken bench and slammed it against a row of lockers.

"It wasn't supposed to happen."

"I know." Roman tentatively took a half step forward.

"After all he'd been through…not a goddammed infection." Seth slammed the broken bench against the row of lockers again. "**We were supposed to grow old together**." Another slam. "**Our kids were supposed to grow up together**." Another slam. "**We were supposed to watch them become the New Shield…or whatever they wanted to be**." Another slam, and the broken bench finally shattered into smaller pieces.

Seth slowly slid to the floor and leaned against a locker. "He said he forgave me. For what I said after Jericho's podcast."

Roman sat next to Seth and took a deep breath.

"I wonder if he really did."

"Sure, he did," Roman answered. "He never said stuff like that if he didn't mean it."

"I kept wanting to meet up with him. Just to be sure…make sure things were right between us. But he was in Japan, and you know what our schedules are like." Seth's voice began to quiver. "I should've just gone…I should've…now I'll never…"

"I know." Roman wished he had the words to comfort his brother…to make the pain go away. But he knew there were no such words in any language.

"Now I can't do that." Seth began shaking. He finally looked at Roman who saw tears in his younger brother's eyes. "He's dead, Roman. Dean's dead. Fucking MRSA took him away from us."

"I know." Roman's eyes closed, and he automatically pulled Seth into his arms.

Seth breathed heavily for a few seconds, then leaned against Roman. "Wasn't supposed to happen…wasn't…"

The hard knot of pain that had been settled deep into Seth's soul suddenly erupted into a loud scream of denial.

"**NOOOOO!"**

"Seth!"

Seth opened his eyes to find himself sitting upright on his couch. He wildly looked around, hearing Kevin frantically barking.

"Seth?"

Seth turned his head to see Becky standing a few feet away, cradling Kevin in her arms.

Seth wiped his face with his hands. Napping…he'd been napping on his couch…in his home…hadn't he?

"Call Renee."

Becky carefully approached him, calming Kevin down. "Seth, you had a nightmare."

"Please…please call Renee. Find out if Dean's okay."

Becky put Kevin onto Seth's lap, reassured when Seth automatically cuddled his dog. "I will, love. But you need to calm down for us, okay?"

Seth nodded, burying his face into Kevin's fur.

Becky grabbed Seth's phone from the coffee table and found Renee's number. "Hey, Renee. I'm on Seth's phone because mine's on the charger. How's Dean doing?" She saw Seth raise his head and met his eyes with a smile.

"You mean other than bitching about what he's not allowed to do?" Renee's voice was amused. "He's doing pretty good."

Becky put the call on the speaker and saw Seth slump in relief when he heard Dean's voice snarking to Renee.

"I'm not bitching. I'm commenting. I'm making observations."

Seth hesitantly held out his hand for his phone.

"Seth wants to talk to Dean. Is he allowed to do that?" Becky teased.

"Absolutely. He can keep Dean occupied while I make that Philly steak sandwich he's craving," Renee chuckled.

Becky handed his phone to Seth who took it off the speaker. She leaned down, kissed the top of his head and took Kevin into the kitchen with her.

"Hey, Seth. What's up?"

Seth closed his eyes, fighting tears. "Not much. Just…wondering if you're okay."

Dean looked at the phone in his hand in confusion then replied, "I'm doing pretty good. Just wanting a Philly steak sandwich." He got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. He nudged Renee and whispered, "Call Becky and see what's going on. He sounds weird."

Renee's eyebrow rose, but she silently nodded. She grabbed her phone and walked into the hallway.

Dean sat down at the island. "So, what's up with you? Carrying two titles again? Getting to be a habit with you, Rollins."

Seth chuckled. "Sorry you missed All Out. Sucked big time."

"Shit happens."

Seth nearly sobbed at what was such a Deanism.

Dean looked up as Renee shoved a piece of paper in front of him.

'_Becky says Seth woke up screaming from a nap.'_

Dean silently nodded and got to his feet. "There's time to kick Omega's ass. Not to mention getting that title from Jericho." He wedged the cell phone between his jaw and shoulder as he opened the sliding door to the patio. Closing it behind him, he sat down at the patio table.

"Hope so. But Roman was right. Tomorrow's not guaranteed. We don't know how much time we have. Life is short."

Dean gently sighed. "Talk to me, Seth." When his words were met with silence, he urged, "C'mon, brother. What's going on?"

Seth choked back a sob. "I'm sorry…**so** sorry for what I said…after Jericho's podcast. I know I apologized and you said you understood and forgave me but…"

"But?"

"Remember Wrestlemania weekend? When you said you had a nightmare about me dying?"

Dean blew out a deep breath. "Yeah, I remember. That **really** sucked."

"I had a nightmare that **you** died," Seth shakily explained. "You never came out of the hospital this time. I was at the arena for RAW and heard and went crazy throwing things in the locker room and screaming and Braun got Becky out of there and then Roman was there because he'd heard and…and…"

"Shhh…shhh…shhh…didn't happen, Seth. Calm down for me…shhh…I'm sitting on my patio. Waiting for my Philly steak sandwich. Would love a beer with it, but Renee's being strict about not mixing the antibiotics with alcohol."

Seth began laughing at first with some hysteria but then more naturally. "I swear to God I'll buy you all the beer you want once you get the okay for it. I'll grab Roman, and we'll show up on your doorstep with a damned beer truck if that's what you want."

"Guess I'm gonna need a couple more refrigerators," Dean teased. He heard Seth take several deep breaths.

"Sorry I dumped all this on you. You don't need that."

"Bullshit," Dean calmly replied. "Remember what I told you in Philadelphia? Nightmares are a bitch. You have 'em, you talk to us about 'em."

"I remember," Seth softly answered.

Dean looked up, hearing a couple of raps on the closed patio door. He saw a grinning Renee with a plate in her hand and nodded. "Go spend some time with Becky before you guys hit the road again."

"Yeah, I will. I'm okay now," Seth promised.

"Good, because there's a Philly steak sandwich calling my name." Dean grinned. "I'll call you later."

"That's okay, you don't have…"

"Don't be telling me what I have or don't have to do," Dean cheerfully warned.

"Right. Would never do that," Seth chuckled. "Love you, brother."

"Love you, brother. Talk to you later." As soon as the call ended, Dean quickly texted his other brother.

'_Call Seth in a while. He had a wicked nightmare about me dying that weirded him out.'_

Dean tucked his cell phone into his jeans pocket as he stood. As soon as he got the okay to travel, he'd coordinate schedules with Roman. They needed to pay their younger brother a visit.


End file.
